From Ice to Embalming

One of the major decisions a society needs to make is whether or not a corpse should be preserved, because:

- The new phenomenon of "lying in state" increased technical demands on undertakers to present the body - rising significance of a "present corpse"

- The cost of funerals went up - often a delay to pay

- Time for traveling long distances for funerals

- Trends were affected by custom, tradition... and innovation.

Corpse Cooling & Cooling Boards

Frederick & Trump; Natural and inexpensive way of preservation; could be reused; Kept face and hands "preserved" for viewing

Air-tight Receptacles and Influences of Chemicals

Immersing the body in liquids or with preservative an airtight receptacle, tube let gasses escape; Arsenic, Mercurial compounds, Zinc (All of which were later banned)

Dr. Thomas Holmes

"Father of American Embalming"; Civil War embalmer, NYC Coroner, embalmed for publicity; invented fluid injection apparatus using a hand pump.

Alexander Butlerov

Discovered formaldehyde in 1859

August Wilhelm von Hofman

German chemist; identified the structure of formaldehyde in 1868, setting the foundation for manufacturing it

When did formaldehyde become widely used in the US for preservation?

Early 1900s.

What were the main focuses of medical practitioners in the development of embalming chemicals?

Disinfection, sanitation, specimen preservation, and longer viewing period.

J. Anthony Gaussardia

1st patented embalming process

John Morgan

Invented gravity fluid injector

Samuel Rogers

Invented trocar for cavity embalming (1878)

What major event during the Civil War revolutionized embalming practices?

The need to send war veterans home for proper burial.

What was the significance of President Lincoln's embalming?

It popularized the practice of embalming.

War Department Order #75 (1861)

September 11, 1861; To ensure all casualties during wartime were provided a "decent burial"; Deferred battlefield responsibility and care of the deceased to the commanding officers of each corps

War Department Order #33 (1862)

July 17, 1862 - Number of casualties increased dramatically by 1862; Needed space for Veterans to be buried; This led to the formation of the current National Veterans Cemetery System in the U.S.

General Order #39 Concerning Embalmers (1865)

It set regulations for the cost, training, and qualifications of embalmers.

Lincoln Funeral Train

Funeral procession would make over 400 stops (same campaign route to seek re-election) never going above 10mph to ensure safety over the nearly 1700-mile procession; To keep body preserved that long, the body was embalmed Dr. Charles Brown & Dr. Harry Cattell embalmed through the femoral artery; Viewed publicly at each stop - the embalmers traveled with them for easy touch-ups

Lincoln's Final Resting Place

After 13-day funeral procession, funeral train arrives at Oak Ridge Cemetery in Springfield, Illinois; Many attempts to grave rob the tomb; 1901, plans were made to rebury the remains in a concrete cased vault; Viewed in 1901 - proved embalming to be effective

Who published the first American embalming textbook in 1878?

Dr. Auguste Renouard.

Joel Crandall

Founded demi-surgery/restorative art (1878-1942)

Clarence Strub

Wrote 'Principles of Restorative Art' (1906-1974)

G. Joseph Prager

Wrote "Manual of Restorative Art" with Charles Dhonau